I invite you to my Salon, a cyberworld version of European and Asian gatherings in centuries past, where artists and intellectuals met in the home of an encouraging and inspiring host. It is my good fortune to be acquainted with many fascinating people, whom I will be pleased to introduce to the reader for your education and entertainment.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Kathryn Casey has written six true crime books, three mystery novels and countless magazine articles. Fortunately for her readers, she doesn't appear to slowing down - ever. Indeed, she's had two books published in the last four months. I've read each of her true crime titles and am starting her novels next.

SHATTERED, released in August, was in the top ten on Amazon's best selling true crime list for over a month prior to publication, and continues to be a best seller in paperback and kindle. SHATTERED is the story of David Temple and Belinda Lucas Temple, who appeared to be the model of the all American ideal couple. David and Belinda were attractive, popular, successful, well-educated, and starting a beautiful family. That is, until the myth was exposed and destroyed by the horrible murder of Belinda and her unborn baby.

Kathryn Casey has somehow made room in her schedule to visit Madame Perry's Salon to talk about SHATTERED, so let us begin.

Perry: Welcome to Madame Perry's Salon, Kathryn. Tell me, at what point did you begin following the murder of Belinda Lucas Temple who was eight months pregnant with a baby girl when she was murdered; and when did you decide you wanted to write this book?

Kathryn Casey: I noticed the articles quickly after the murder, and then kept tabs on the case over the years, googling it every so often to see if there was any news. I knew that if the case was ever solved/prosecuted, I would have to be in the courtroom. I was fascinated by what had happened and the long, seemingly endless investigation. For a long time, nothing. Then David Temple was arrested, and I made plans to go to the trial. That was my first real commitment of time, six weeks in the courtroom. From that point on, I worked on the book for about a year, full time.

Perry: Because of his stellar football career David Temple was practically treated like a rock star in the community. How challenging was it for you to get people who knew and admired him to talk about him?''

Casey: It wasn't easy, but then that's often a challenge with true crime books. But I was persistent, and it paid off. Eventually, many people did talk with me and the book took shape. As much as his celebrity status in Katy, the problem was that quite a few people were afraid of David. He's a big, muscular guy with a notoriously bad temper. Even though he was behind prison walls, some people worried for their safety.

Perry: The Temple family certainly appears to be a very tight clan, even to the point where the families of their sons' wife were not considered during major holidays and events. Therefore Belinda was never with the Lucases, her own family, on Christmas or other special days. Yet after her brutal murder when police questioned David's involvement the family - except for Belinda's twin sister - loudly defended him. It must have been very difficult to get them to discuss the loss of their daughter and granddaughter.

Casey and Max

Casey: It wasn't too long after the murder before Tom and Carol Lucas began questioning their son-in-law's possible involvement. By the time I met them, they'd spent years fighting to bring David to justice. Once they understood that I was committed to writing a fair and accurate account of their daughter's murder, they agreed to talk to me. Still, those are painful memories. It's often very difficult for parents, siblings, loved ones to discuss the awful moment of that first phone call, signaling that someone they love has died.

The days that followed are so emotional, and then there's that awful realization that a young man they thought of as a son was a controlling, abusive husband and a murderer. The Lucases carried the burden of Belinda's murder for so many years, fighting for justice. It was truly heartbreaking.

Perry: I've read every one of your true crime books, Kathryn, and you get deep in the stories of some evil, twisted people. Do you have some process you go through to sort of detoxify yourself emotionally and psychically after finishing an intense true crime story?

Kathryn Casey in the courtroom
during the Celeste Beard trial.

Casey: No, I'm really fine. The secret is that when I work on a true crime book, I meet maybe one or two really bad people, a few I probably wouldn't invite over for dinner, but for the most part dozens and dozens of truly fine individuals simply trying to live their lives. To write a book like SHATTERED, I talk to somewhere around 100 sources. Maybe five percent are unsavory. For the most part, the people I meet are good people simply caught up in a horrible tragedy.

That said, I have begun writing crime fiction. My third novel, THE KILLING STORM, is coming out on October 26th. I do think that the fiction helps, that it's a release from covering real-life murders. I have so much fun with it that I think of it as therapy.

Perry: Congratulations on the excellent sales for far, I wish you much more success.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Fans of sci-fi detective thrillers, this one's for you. Madame Perry's Salon is delighted to introduce you to author P.I. Barrington, here to discuss her book Crucifying Angel.

Perry: How did you choose the location and year for the setting of the Future Imperfect series?

Barrington: I wanted someplace that easily lent itself to dystopia and Las Vegas pretty much filled the bill. Under all that façade of glitz and glamour Vegas.

Perry: That sounds right on target. The themes that propel the plot – cults, crucifixes, interpretations of the Holy Bible – though not new will remain in literature because they are ripe with danger, hope, fear, love, lust, power, and just about every other human emotion, strength or frailty. Did you feel it could also be treacherous terrain to plant the crux of the story’s conflict there?

Barrington: Actually, it wasn't that deep an interpretation. I did want to explore guilt in all its myriad facets, especially with Gavin and Payce and their huge baggage but with the killer, Ralphie Teon , I just wanted to give him a crusade; some motive in his mind that evolved out of a twisted childhood that he could use to justify his killings and that could be manipulated by someone real outside Ralphie's mind, using that crusade to eliminate people.

Perry: Sorry, P.I., but I had to hit the blackout button over the killer’s name for the folks who haven’t read or haven’t completed Crucifying Angel. I sense a bit of the author in Sgt. Payce Halligan. If that is true, or not, please tell me what handsome Brit you see in the role of Detective Gavin McAllister?

Barrington: In fact Payce is not really like me at all. She's little and cute and sweet, not snarky like me. She might come up with a smartass remark but that's rare for her whereas I can't stop doing it, lol! She takes her job as a cop seriously, it defines her.

As for Gavin, I've been looking for him since day one! I know in my mind what he looks like but it's been almost a year since Crucifying Angel came out and I still haven't found any man that looks like him to me—and I've looked at a lot of gorgeous men Brit or otherwise! All I can tell you about Gavin in terms of physicality is that he speaks a lot like John Nettles—doesn't look like him—but speaks like him.

Perry: Ooh, love John Nettles. Actors? Check out Patrick Ryecart or Martin Kemp. Yes, Martin, wait. where was I? Because this is set in the near future, what type of research did you do to project the conditions of the earth and its atmosphere? And of course, you created several items of forensic methods and tools, as well as police equipment. Did you consult with experts in those fields, or was the work all yours?

P. I. Barrington

Barrington: I did some research at the beginning of CA. I researched the pollution sources from the mines and looked up some of the effects of that pollution on local wildlife, things like that. The terrible thing is that when I set up The New Creation compound and this is honest to God true: I thought Area 51 was in New Mexico and after I'd written the book I realized I'd set the location very near to where Area 51 sits!

About the tools and weapons, you know it's amazing but last week someone who'd read the book emailed and attached a news article about spray-on clothes that have just been unveiled by scientists, no kidding. And one aspect the article mentioned is that part of the reason for the spray-on clothing is for germicidal protection which is why I came up with the spray-on surgical gloves. I wanted something that could be safe and easily disposed of for use in the later books. Again, I swear I never heard of spray-on clothes before I came up with the gloves, lol! What I try to do is look at what technology we have and try to think of ways I'd like to deal with situations that are unique and new but also a logical progression of technology.

I've said before, I'm no scientist but I like to give verisimilitude to my technology. For the police related procedures I did have LAPD and other police departments' contacts but in the end I realized that I was creating this dystopia and so I could dispense with normal police procedures. Gavin being hired so quickly is the example of that. Las Vegas, 2032, is just too financially pressed to bother with background checks or go through the hoops. LVPD needs bodies not regulations and because things are rapidly deteriorating, they shove any legality aside.

Perry: You leave us with a bit of a cliff-hanger for the next book of the series – Miraculous Deception. How many titles do you have slated for the Future Imperfect series?

Barrington: As we speak I have literally delivered the complete manuscript for Book Three: Final Deceit to my editor. Book Three will be the final book in the Future Imperfect series.

Perry: As John Nettles might say in his Barnaby character, “Well done, you!” So glad to have you visit us here. And here I'll tell people they can follow your work, read excerpts and order from The Word Mistresses.

Friday, October 8, 2010

This began as a comment but the length better suits it to a post. I appreciate everyone who has read this blog, commented, and even became followers. I'll do my best to keep bringing you great authors.

It was very exciting to have Diane Fanning give us her time so generously to discuss MOMMY'S LITTLE GIRL. While she has two other books about to be published, she made time for the readers of Madame Perry's Salon.

To Celeste, Wrighton, & Rebecca - in this genre you can't get better than Ann Rule, Diane Fanning, and Kathryn Casey. News flash - Casey is our next guest! She will talk about her latest true crime book, SHATTERED. To Sandy, I understand, and want to add that during the diligent research for her book, Through The Window, Diane pulled together evidence that exonerated a woman wrongly accused and imprisoned for murdering her own little boy.

One of the reasons I find value in true crime books is that often the monsters commiting such heinous crimes are often disguised as the friendly neighbor, a regular Joe or Jane, the quiet fellow who installs the sprinkler systems, the guy everyone thinks is just swell. My hope is that this opens people's eyes to be aware of things that just don't seem right or a bit out of place, to listen to victims with an open mind, pay attention to their surroundings, and to be willing to give information to the police. If you have information that you are reluctant to share because you 'don't want to be involved'; youare already involved. Choosing not to help allows someone else to be a victim.

I also have the excellent Italian American journalist Candace Dempsey visiting soon to discuss her book, Murder In Italy, the tragic story of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, and the American student who shared the flat and was indicted for her murder, Amanda Knox. I have to admit she turned me around completely on this case.

My dear friend, Collin Kelley, has returned from his UK tour during which he was a guest lecturer at Oxford. He will return to Madame Perry's Salon with the sequel to his novel Conquering Venus.

Oh, yes, author P.I. Barrington will be here talking about her detective thriller Crucifying Angel, set in the not to distant future in Las Vegas!

It is always an absolute thrill when these authors kindly fit my questions for Madame Perry's Salon into their quite busy schedules. They have my gratitude for sharing, as all my readers and followers do for your time and comments. One more shout out to Helen Ginger, whose blog Straight From Hel has been more helpful to me than she can imagine. Please keep buying books, reading, visiting me, commenting and inviting your friends. I think you are all wonderful!